Entrepreneurship Mentoring Seminar in Abuja,Nigeria.

Register today for a value packed Entrepreneurship Mentoring Seminar,December 1st,2012 in Abuja,Nigeria and start 2013 on a resounding note! Learn more details here http://bitly.com/Uzh89T

Thursday, January 12, 2012

OPEN LETTER TO GOODLUCK JONATHAN: SAVE THIS HOUSE FROM FALLING!

By Anozie Awambu
United Kingdom Based Energy Lawyer




OPEN LETTER TO GOODLUCK JONATHAN: SAVE THIS HOUSE FROM FALLING!

Dear President Jonathan,

As Martin Luther King warned, “these are revolutionary times”: Like the Arab spring, the ‘Nigerian Harmattan’ seems to be blowing. All over the country men and woman, young and old, are revolting against an old system of exploitation and oppression. In the scorching sun of failed leadership a soothing river of self-help has sprang forth. A people thirsty of fruitful governance have found an assuaging spring in the streets of protests.


Out of the womb of a cruel polity new aspirations of justice and truth are being born. The frustrated and angry people of Nigeria have risen up as never before. The people who have long lived in depression have found their voice. That voice has eased them the weight of a despair that once held them back. It echoes their recent awakening: that because of complacency and their proneness to adjust to injustices the trustees of their commonwealth have for long taken them for granted while brazenly treating themselves to lavish grandeur.

In that thunderous cry for liberation we have seen unison in the voices of a people otherwise polarised. The literate, in their robust erudition, and the illiterate, in some of the most shocking ignorance, have met at a common crossroad: that in the prevailing socio-economic circumstances in Nigeria your fuel subsidy removal policy does not affirm what is best for them.


In this time when sectarian aggression is ripping apart the fraying thread that binds us in the gloomy search for nationhood. In this time when your inertia had so strengthened the mongers of sectarian hate and the embers of discord were being profusely fanned, the people have found an accord in the revolt against your policy. But I know that the underlying fabric of unity remains badly ripped. The unison you see on the streets of protests is one of convenience. Hate is still brewing in the land. You have not attended to it. In this time when hate has not been doused it is dangerous for the people to be on the streets.

President Jonathan, our country is pregnant with a chaos of diverse ramifications. Leaving the people on the streets is like inducing the birth of that chaos. Mr President, save this house from falling! Budge to our demands, at least in the interim. Heed the advice of the houses of parliament however inchoate their resolutions.
In the days of not too distant past when you were the second fiddle, when you strolled the corridors of power but didn’t have access to its inner chambers; in the days when darkness, only less tick as the one now gathered, covered the land because the captain of the ship of state, lying frail on the sick-bed of Arabia, left the masses incommunicado. For a quarter of a year the Nigerian ship, unmanned, was cruising to a wreck. It was these same people who you now call ignorant and overly impressionable who raised their voices in the cry that a cabal had treated you with contempt. In a loud shout that summed up the sincerity of a people their forthrightness saw to it that what fell to you was given to you. You became Acting President and with the demise of your boss fate had taken you to a height you never dreamt of. Fate had so magically lived out your name –Goodluck. From that moment a myth had intertwined your persona.

And exploiting that uncommon opportunity you presented yourself for their re-endorsement. In your campaigns for election you connected yourself with their lowly stations of life and wove the story of your unmerited ascendancy into their collective and individual dreams. With some of the dexterity this nation had never seen they stood behind you to take you to where you currently sit. But now you refuse to listen to them.

In these protests, may be you are banking on outlasting the masses you once sang sweetly about the days you had no shoes. But be minded that you are now faced with the fact that Nigeria’s tomorrow is in your hands today. In this unfolding conundrum of nationhood and history there shouldn’t be such a thing as being too heady. Posturing is still the thief of peace. History often leaves men who had the chance to make themselves celebrated statesmen to be caught standing bare, naked and dejected with a lost opportunity. President Jonathan here is your opportunity. But more than just your opportunity, here is our future. You must act with the fierce urgency of now.

Reverse the fuel subsidy removal policy. Re-work the subsidy to a model that will be totally phased out in a graduated manner over a 3 -5 year period. Focus on security. Win the trust of Nigerians by cutting the huge costs of governance and by dissociating with the inequities of corruption and proceeding against it. Throw your weight on the power sector. Achieve meaningful progress there. That sector is a magic wand that is able to make you the darling of Nigerians is you fix it for them.

You have disappointed Nigerians but there is still opportunity to write your name in a golden plaque of history. But if you fail, history will pronounce anathema on the man who had no shoes but who lost his heart when he got power. The chance is now yours, but the fate at stake is larger than you, it is that of a hundred and eighty million people. Please hearken to wise counsel.


Anozie Awambu
UK Based Energy Lawyer. "

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

The need to site the south-south entrepreneurship development centre in Bayelsa State

by Gibson Gbalimori

One of the main strategies of the administration of Governor Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa State is to build the human capacity level of the people to achieve entrepreneurial development. This is to tackle issues of unemployment, industrial development, wealth creation, capacity enhancement as well as addressing poverty alleviation.
Entrepreneurship development no doubt thrives on opportunities WHICH IF PROVIDED will translate into improvement of the overall quality of life and check the current security situation across the country.
Entrepreneurial development should therefore involve the provision of infrastructure and training centres to achieve desired results. In most industrialized countries, economic growth is engineered mainly by micro and medium enterprises working as catalysts for employment.
Their contribution leads to improved state income from taxation, general well-being and sustainable development. Statistics reveal that micro-small and medium scale enterprises employ more than 80% of people in most developed countries alongside the organized private sector. The Central Bank of Nigeria which drives the nation’s economy came up with an intervention policy to address the poverty level by developing a template for entrepreneurial programme.

Some years ago, the apex bank undertook a study of the issue with a report that over fifty percent of Nigerians live below the poverty line owing to lack of access to credit, poor infrastructure, low productive technologies and low capacity to manage resources. This necessitated the decision to establish Entrepreneurship Development Centres in the six geopolitical zones by the CBN.
In the first phase, only three Centres were established in Onitsha, Kano and Lagos as pilot schemes. Arrangements to establish the other three to cover North-Central, North-East and the South-South have reached advanced stage. Bayelsa State offers a wide potential for accessing the strategic markets in the South-South especially where the issue of Entrepreneurship Development is concerned.
With a high rate of unemployment and low dependency ratio, more than two-thirds of residents in the state are involved in a variety of agricultural trade. Bayelsa being the second largest oil producing State in Nigeria also generates high income from oil and gas with many opportunities for businesses and investors. Indeed, the existing regulatory environment utilizes microcredit and financial linkages to drive economic empowerment and sustainable development necessary for job creation, youth employment and improved security.
This formed the basis for the establishment of the State Microcredit Administration Agency in 2009 by Governor Timipre Sylva. The Agency aims at establishing and maintains contact with the Federal Government, the Central Bank of Nigeria as well as relevant international agencies to facilitate entrepreneurship for the alleviation of poverty.
The government through the Micro Credit Agency had demonstrated enough commitment to host the South-South centre of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre. To complement the centre, the administration is building two skills vocational acquisition centres in Elebele, Ogbia and Asuama in KOlokuma/OPokuma Local Government Areas.

Since Entrepreneurial Development thrives on opportunities and rich natural resource base, Bayelsa State offers opportunities waiting to be exploited.
The Government will also provide basic facilities such as accessible roads, potable water and electricity for the effective take-off of the centre. Also, the sitting of the centre in the state will answer the call for more federal presence. The State Government is prepared to provide all necessary logistics and financial support to the CBN and enact appropriate legislations for its effective take-off.
As the fourth largest economy in the federation, the state possesses the financial ability to sustain the centre and will ensure collaboration with the Niger Delta Development Commission, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and other developmental partners.
In addition the State Microcredit Administration Agency is capable of mobilizing additional input and provide support for the Centre to serve as an instrument for youth empowerment and overall South- South economic development agenda. The government and the people of Bayelsa state are ready to host the Central Bank of Nigeria facilitated Entrepreneurship development centre for the South- South region.

Source: FRCN daily commentary

Sunday, January 8, 2012

THE CURRENT STRIDES OF THE NATIONAL HEATH INSURANCE SCHEME

BY CHRISTOPHER IBEKWE

Health Insurance is a social security system that ensures the provision of healthcare to a group of people who make a token contribution on the agreement that they will contribute for Healthcare. Nigeria’s Health Insurance Scheme came fully on stream when it commenced operations in June, 2005. One of the objectives of the scheme is to ensure equitable distribution of Healthcare cost among various income groups. It is also designed to maintain high standard of Healthcare services, and ensure steady flow of funds to the Health sector for development of infrastructure. Six years on, the scheme has recorded significant milestones in the operations of the formal sector Social Health Insurance.

According to the Executive Secretary, Dr. Waziri Dogo-Mohammed, in 2006, the NHIS took off with about 300,000 enrollees, but now has over Four million persons. To ensure easy access to Healthcare, the scheme has accredited over 7,000 Healthcare facilities; comprising primary, secondary and tertiary Healthcare providers, and over 50 Health Maintenance Organizations. It has also addressed the challenge of funding in the Health system by sourcing funds in addition to the normal budgetary provision. The scheme has also developed programmes such as the Tertiary Institutions Health Insurance Programme, meant to provide healthcare for students in Institutions of Higher Learning. In addition, there is the Voluntary Contributors’ Social Health Insurance Programme for the generality of Nigerians who can afford to register on their own and the Retirees Social Health Insurance Programme.

Equally commendable is the implementation of the NHIS/MDG Maternal and Child Health Project, designed to provide free healthcare service to pregnant women and children under five. This programme whose pilot project began in six states of Gombe, Sokoto, Niger, Oyo, Bayelsa and Imo takes care of over a million pregnant women and their children. Currently, the Maternal and Child Health Project has been extended to twelve more states and will eventually spread to the whole country. The NHIS has also succeeded in promoting public private sector partnership in Healthcare delivery. It has further strengthened its operations through the establishment of a central database for effective management as well as the establishment of a National call centre for instant response to enquiries and complaints by enrollees. The scheme has equally fine-tuned a robust IT Platform known as E-NHIS to improve operations and regulation of the scheme while the amended NHIS Act is under-going various legislative processes to make it more relevant to the times. The NHIS has accredited Banks, Insurance Companies, and Insurance Brokers to participate in the implementation of the scheme. The quality of care given to enrollees is adjudged to be consistent with best practices in Health Insurance Industry.
According to studies, over 87% of Nigerians who are benefitting are satisfied with the service of the NHIS. This perhaps attracted some states like Cross- River and Bauchi to join the programme. The success of the scheme has also attracted the interest of private organizations to enroll their workforce. All these achievements have been made possible by the strong support of the Federal Government. However, there are some challenges facing the operations of the NHIS. One of such is the use of the word ‘Insurance” which some Nigerians find uncomfortable due to Religious and socio-cultural considerations. However, the scheme is tackling this through a comprehensive public enlightenment campaign. Others include professional rivalry between some key Healthcare providers and the controversy of the capitation system of payment, as well as in-house dispensing of Drugs from unaccredited Pharmacies. Inspite of these challenges, the NHIS has moved from a scheme that was viewed with cynicism at the beginning to one that has been widely accepted by all.
The ever increasing clamour for the programme is a strong indication of its success and prospects. As the scheme rolls out to the states and the informal sector, through the Community Based Social Health Insurance Programme, the NHIS, adjudged to be the fastest growing Social Health Insurance Scheme in the world is confident of achieving the mandate of universal access to Healthcare in Nigeria by 2015.

Source: FRCN daily commentary

THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF DR. KAYODE FAYEMI AS GOVERNOR OF EKITI STATE.

BY OLAYINKA OYEBODE.

For the people and the government of Ekiti State, October is a historic milestone. It is memorable for the nationhood as well as for the birth of Ekiti State which was carved out of Ondo State 15 years ago. Although 15 years may not be a landmark in the Gregorian calendar, October this year is symbolic of freedom and justice with the emergence of the government of Dr. John Kayode Fayemi for the people of EkitiState. October last year marked a new dawn after a long, legal battle to reclaim the electoral mandate which the people of Ekiti State gave to Dr Fayemi during the April 14, 2007 election.

The victory of Dr. Kayode Fayemi is an expression of the age-long reputation of the doggedness, determination and unity of the Ekiti people in whatever vision they believe in. Since the inception of his administration, Dr. Fayemi has enunciated his vision that someday, poverty, diseases and underdevelopment will become history in Ekiti State.He has encapsulated this vision in the 8-point agenda which captures all-round and even development in the State by 2014. By this date, the Ekiti State Government envisions that as the country is marking its centenary anniversary, the people of Ekiti State will be celebrating with good road networks, regular water supply, mechanized agriculture, good health and comprehensive social security for the vulnerable. They will also be celebrating in a state, where both men and women have equal opportunities and where education has become more qualitative and the youth have become highly motivated and empowered. Dr Kayode Fayemi has, within the last one year, laid a solid foundation to actualize all these. The Government has been able to restore peace to the once troubled state.
The administration has also built an efficient database to aid the holistic development of Ekiti State. The past year has been a period of confidence building during which the Fayemi administration was able to attract the admiration and goodwill of different strata of the society, both within and outside the state.
The first year anniversary which was marked with an investment and economic summit had Prominent captains of industries and investors in attendance to suggest ways of economic rejuvenation of the state. In an attempt to harness the intellectual potentialities of Ekiti people, the State Government had earlier organized the first- ever Education Summit to develop a plan to meet the people’s crave for better qualitative education. Under his leadership, Ekiti state has hosted the forum of governors of the old Western States, a regional platform to harness resources to address their common challenges. The logo and the motto of Ekiti state have undergone transformation in the philosophical framework as The Land of Honour.
This is to provide the watchword for the government and the people to have a new mind set for honour in whatever they do. The Government under Fayemi also seeks partnership both within and outside the country to attract development to Ekiti State. In this endeavor, he has personally consulted with relevant Ministries, Developments and Agencies of the Federal Government and many development partners both within and outside the country to explore investment opportunities in the state. The last one year of Governor Kayode Fayemi has been characterized by youth empowerment, manpower development and planning for a new Ekiti State. It is a new Ekiti State where the yet unborn child, the yet unemployed, the worker and the pensioner, the teacher, the old and the young, the artisan and the academic receive the attention of the government. It is Ekiti State with added values where the people have a sense of honour in the land of honour.

Source: FRCN daily commentary

STRENGTHENING THE WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION

BY MUHAMMAD NASIR

For a very long time, corruption has been acknowledged as the single most serious obstacle to economic and democratic development in Nigeria. It is manifested mainly in the form of bribery and embezzlement of public funds. The phenomenon has contributed in no small measures to the political and economic problems. The nation has faced since independence. With the return of democracy in 1999 Clear moves were made to put in place measures for combating corruption. This culminated into the establishment of two anti –corruption agencies, the ICPC and the Economic and Financial crime Commission EFCC.
However, the nation is still grappling with the problems of governance and how to effectively combat and prevent the menace. There are no limits to the devastating effects of corruption. It leads to the waste of skills and precious time is wasted in unproductive endeavour. The government also looses a lot of money and resources in setting up committees to fight corruption. With government committing huge sums of money to tackle pressing problems, from the instability of financial markets to climate change and poverty, corruption remains an obstacle to achieving much needed progress. The issue of inconsistency of government policy is another bane to the problem. In spite of the progress made, there are calls for government to overhaul its anti-corruption agencies to gain public confidence and to ensure probity and accountability in public service. The international community had also expressed concern over the performance of the anti-graft agencies. The major problem in tackling the menace appears to be that those that get caught, instead of making examples out of them, are elevated to higher offices which make it look as if there is one set of rules is for politicians and another set is for the citizens. In our traditional settings corruption has gradually become not only organized and institutionalized but also an acceptable way of life. Few would disagree with the contention that in Nigeria today, nepotism, bribery and even extortion have become a way of life for many. There is the need therefore to check its pervasiveness and its implications for governance and the value system in general and the political culture in particular.
To address these challenges, the federal government needs to integrate its anti-corruption machineries in all spheres, from their responses to the financial crisis and to commitments by the international community to eradicate poverty. The transparency international advocates stricter implementation of the United Nations convention against corruption which should be adhered to in order to ensure the drastic reduction or even eradication of corruption. To this end, Nigeria must understand the wider implication of corruption and the impediments it creates. We must realize that eliminating corruption is central to restoring security. This can be achieved through allowing people to have access to information on the decisions and actions taken by public authorities. The promulgation of Freedom of Information Act is a step in the light direction. The media must also play a major role in exposing corruption, through awareness creation. We also need a commitment on the part of public representatives and opinion makers to control corruption.

Source: FRCN daily commentary

A TRIBUTE ON THE LIFE AND TIME OF LATE ARCHBISHOP JONATHAN ONYEMELUKWE.

BY SIR OSELOKA OFFOR

Like a man who has a date with history, Arch Bishop Jonathan Arinzechukwu Onyemelukwe came at a time people needed rescue from satanic influences occasioned by spiritual blindness and lack of civilization. Born in 1930 at Nanka, Anocha Local Government Area of Anambra State to Nze Mark Ejike Onyemelukwe and Madam Amanya Onyemelukwe, both of blessed memory, the late Arch Bishop started his formal education at St. James' Church Vernacular School Nanka and Ekwulobia Central School. He had his secondary education at Dennis Memorial Grammar School. It was there that he received a call to be a pastor. On successful completion, he was posted to Nsukka in 1951 as a church helper and auxiliary teacher.

In 1952, he was re-located to Amawbia Central School under the tutelage of a white missionary staff of St. Paul's College Awka , Reverend George Bernard of the Church Missionary Society CMS. In 1953, he moved on to Trinity College Umuahia where he completed his general ordination course and obtained Diploma in Theology Certificate of London University. He was ordained a deacon in 1955 after which he travelled to Canada for further studies where he obtained higher degrees. He became a full time missionary and worked as a chaplain under the Arch Bishop of West Africa living in Sierra Leone until 1959 and then got married to young beatrice Onubuaku Anwuna. Being a missionary committed to transforming the unjust structures of the society as well as protecting the integrity of God's creation, Reverend Jonathan Onyemelukwe was away when the Nigeria Civil war broke out. He returned in 1969. Worried by the agonies of the civil war and extent of destruction of lives and property, Reverend Onyemelukwe undertook several works of charity, helping the sick and bringing relief materials under world council of churches. At the end of the war in 1970, he was posted to the present Awka Diocese and appointed the Archdeacon of the Awka Archdeaconry.
After one year, he was appointed Principal of Trinity Theological College, Umuahia in 1971 where he served until December 1974 when he was elected Bishop. He was consecrated by the Archbishop of West Africa, the Most Reverend M. Scott on February 23rd 1975. Coming on board as Bishop , the Right Reverend Dr. Jonathan Onyemelukwe widened the scope of evangelism and brought the gospel to the door steps of the people resulting in thousands of Christian converts, springing up of churches, and elimination of fear, superstition and ungodly practices in many towns and villages. Bishop Onyemelukwe successfully completed the All Saints Cathedral Church Onitsha, making it a thing of pride and a place of pilgrimage for Christians. This edifice was dedicated by the Most Reverend Adetiloye on First Novenmber, 1992. Bishop Onyemelukwe served in various positions within the church. He represented the Church of Nigeria on Peace and Justice Network of the World Wide Anglican Communion for more than ten years. He also served as Commissioner in the World Council of Churches , Medical Mission for over six years.

Finally, he was honoured with special award in acknowledgement of his outstanding contributions during his tenure as Dean of Church of Nigeria by the Most Reverend Peter Jasper Akinola, the immediate past Primate of All Nigeria. Committed to a sustainable Anglican Spirituality, Bishop Onyemelukwe saw to the carving out of the Awka Diocese of the Communion and after ten years of its existence, Nnewi was also carved out. He expanded the involvements of the mission in Education, Health Care and Moral upbringing of people, resulting in the setting up of the Holy Innocents Juniorate Convets Nkpor, St. Christopher Junior Seminary Onitsha, the famous Iyienu Mission Hospital and other hospitals and clinics in the hinterlands of the Diocese on the Niger. Furthermore, he reintroduced the Knighthood in the Church of Nigeria in 1978 in a bid to give credible leadership to the laity of the church. It is obvious that from the on set, Arch Bishop Jonathan Onyemelukwe has set a clear cut agenda for his Episcopacy.

Source: FRCN daily commentary

THE NEED FOR ATTITUDINAL CHANGE AMONG NIGERIANS.

ALFRED AJAYI

It was a former American President, John F. Kennedy who admonished his citizens, “Do not think of what America will do for you, but think of what you will do for America”. It is also true that most of the developed societies attained their present status through the concerted efforts of all citizens and residents. Unfortunately, same cannot be said of our dear country, Nigeria where citizens do and say unprintable things about their country without recourse to the impact of such on the nation. While Americans rise in the morning to bless their country, Nigerians on daily basis make negative confessions like “Nigeria is spoilt beyond repair”, “This country cannot be good again” et cetera.
Many endlessly expect what Nigeria can do for them and are not willing to do anything for the sake of the country. However, there are other Nigerians who still believe that the country will work and achieve greatness, regardless of its current state. With the transformation agenda already set by the Administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria is on its way to all round development that will meet the yearnings of all and sundry. Nevertheless, it must be stated that meaningful and enduring transformation is a challenge for both the leaders and the followers even as it demands attitudinal change across board. To this end, Government functionaries at all levels are expected to set the pace by curbing wasteful spending as well as reducing the cost of governance. The Federal Government’s efforts in setting up a committee to discover areas of waste in Government through duplication of functions in federal Ministries, departments and agencies is therefore commendable. Political Office holders should be patriotic in service and be accountable in all their dealings.


This is because ostentatious display of wealth as is the current experience by some of them is partly responsible for the increasing wave of crime and insecurity in the country. On their part, Nigerians should know that the onus is on them to give whatever they can in evolving a country of their dream. There is need for us to have a holistic reflection of our lifestyle and see if we have contributed anything substantial to the national drive towards economic prosperity. Those in the civil service and the private sector should use their positions to contribute meaningfully to the progress and growth of the nation. It is on this note that those involved in the recent threat to national unity and security are urged to have a rethink. It takes unpatriotic elements to bomb and destroy their country’s places of interest as being witnessed in the country, no matter the grievances or level of provocation. It is regrettable that this new dimension had put Nigeria in the global spotlight for the wrong reasons. Besides, security agents too must be seen to be nationalistic in the discharge of their constitutionally assigned duties.

It is a national demand on us as citizens to become more conscious of security and volunteer necessary information about unpatriotic persons. Patriotism demands that citizens toe the path of dialogue and adopt peaceful means of expressing their grievances against any policy or programme of government. Whatever we do, we must ask ourselves, how much does it enhance the transformation process? No matter how good the intention of the government, it is the patriotic zeal on the part of those in authority and the citizens that will translate to faithfulness and efficacy in translating them to the positive results.

Source: FRCN daily commentary

THE NEED FOR RESPONSIILITY AND PROFESSIONALISM IN INFORMATION DISSEMINATION

BY Emmanuel Odoh

There is no doubt that the guarantee of fundamental human rights, including the freedom of expression and press constitute one of the major differences between democracy and other forms of government. The freedom to hold and share information, ideas, and opinion not only deepens the roots of democracy, but also enriches the quality of human life and dignity.

Instructively, Nigeria is one of the nations where such freedoms are enshrined in the constitution. This is also in addition to the Freedom of Information Act which makes the land even more fertile for the cultivation of information and ideas. However, it is also imperative to note that every right comes with responsibility and limits without which the state would descend to anarchy. This has been aptly captured by Oliver Wendell Jr. who once said that “Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins”.

It is against this backdrop that the recent misleading media reports that there were moves in the Senate, through a private member bill by the Deputy President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu to legalise prostitution must be viewed as an abuse of the liberty to hold and impart ideas and information. This is more so when it is realised that there was never any such bill before the Senate or a motion on prostitution debated on the floor. Rather, the Senate actually debated a motion on the need to stamp out human trafficking in the nation.

This misinformation by just a single news medium that Senator Ike Ekeremadu had introduced a bill to legalize prostitution immediately became a subject of news stories and debate on the internet, newspapers, and the electronic media. Some broadcast stations also made such falsehood a topic of phone-in programmes where people expectedly called in to make derogatory comments about the National Assembly, while a print medium made it the subject of its editorial.

This is a very saddening development in view of the negative implications of such reports not only on the reputation of individuals and the Senate as an institution, but also to the Nigerian public which trust in the capacity of the Nigerian media industry to be professional, objective, and also rise beyond pecuniary interests.

It is therefore not surprising that this has once more reignited the call for the revival of professionalism and high ethical standards in the practice of journalism. Media professionals must uphold the age long journalistic obligation of gate-keeping and crosschecking of information before passing on such to the public. The false report on the senate clearly showed that there was no attempt to crosscheck the information at the disposal of the medium. This is most disheartening.

This scenario also bring to the fore the need for training and retraining of media personnel who cover sensitive bits such as the parliament. Such specialised personnel must also be able to discern mischief and political intrigues in whatever form they may manifest. This too has become most imperative in view of the endless allegations of compromise against some journalists who sell their consciences to the highest bidders.


Very importantly also, regulatory institutions and professional bodies should ensure that media organisations and professionals within their purview operate responsibly under relevant laws of the land and professional codes of ethics.
Indeed, all hands must be on deck to ensure no person undeservedly falls victim in the exercise of the freedoms of expression, press and information.



Source: FRCN daily commentary

THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION

BY ABU ALILU

Peace is said to be a state of calm characterized by the lack of violent conflict, commonly understood as the absence of hostility. In other word peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships and prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare. The absence of peace leads to conflict. Conflict is more than a mere disagreement - it is a situation in which people perceive a threat to their well-being be it physical, emotional or social . Generally, formal peace process include early warning, preventive diplomacy and conflict prevention. Our mothers by nature are closer to their children, and thus possess these peace process strategies more than anybody.
However, prevailing assumptions about the women’s appropriate roles in a society, particularly in relation to decision-making and conventional assumptions about their areas of expertise, have been used to exclude them from informal or formal and all other peace processes. In some peace talks, for example, some male delegates questioned the presence of women, seeing their wish to be involved as interference in the process . Nevertheless, it is happy to note that the United Nations as well as other regional bodies are increasingly recognizing the position of women’s leadership in the prevention and resolution of conflict and crises. For instance, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action acknowledged the crucial role of women during times of armed conflict and the collapse of communities and called for the establishment of an active and visible policy of mainstreaming a gender perspective when addressing armed and other conflict.



In fact more than a decade ago, on 31 October 2000 the United Nations took the first step in identifying the important position women hold in preventing and resolving Conflict with the passage of a resolution which stressed the importance of women’s equal participation and full involvement in all efforts of the maintenance and promotion of peace and security. It also emphasized the need to increase their role in decision making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution. The impact of this resolution was further solidified by the establishment of national action plans by 24 nations, confirming government support at the national level for the inclusion of women in conflict resolutions. Women therefore have a role in ensuring a peaceful and healthy society. They can do this by inculcating sound moral instruction into the younger generation. Naturally, children tend to endere more to their mothers than fathers. This provides a good channel for mothers to impact positive virtues of peace to their children and ward right from childhood because a peaceful society begins with a peaceful home. Many of the conflict enveloping the globe emanate from the family to community and like a spark of fire spreads across a state and its environs.
Often times, issues such as poverty, struggle for scarce resources, lack of infrastructures and violations of human rights are indentified as the root causes of conflict in the society. In this regard, successful strategies for empowering women should be put in place. Informal activities such as peace marches and protests, intergroup dialogue, the promotion of inter-cultural tolerance should be encouraged to be spearheaded by our women. We cannot forget how women such as Fummilayo Ransome Kuti and Margaret Ekpo stared a revolution that brought about changes in our country. Women on their part , should be mindful of the power that lies inside of them and use it positively amidst numerous challenges to positively change the world.

Source: FRCN daily commentary

Time to Stand up for Nigeria

By Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali

The first of October every year is Nigeria’s independence anniversary. It is a day that is historic in many respects. Apart from bringing to the fore the immeasurable and selfless struggles of our founding fathers which led to the attainment of independence in 1960, the day offers a golden opportunity to all Nigerians for a deeper reflection on the essence of nationhood.
At independence, the founding fathers committed themselves to building a united, strong and prosperous nation, where everyone irrespective of tribe and religion shall rise to protect and defend the country. Indeed, this commitment was to ensure that our diverse people who are blessed with abundant human and material resources will live in peace and harmony.
Over the last 51 years therefore, Nigerians of all walks of life have left no one in doubt of their total commitment to this sacred ideal. In this vein, though Nigeria fought a fratricidal civil war, it emerged stronger from it. There was no victor and there was no vanquished! Through the subsequent challenge of the last two decades of the 20st century and the beginning of the 21st century, Nigerians have remained ever united in the indivisibility of their nation.
While the greatest challenge of the 80s and 90s was how to return Nigeria to the path of democracy, May 29th 1999 became the water shed in the collective struggle for the enthronement of democracy as the best form of government. As we celebrate the 51years of independence, Nigerians have every reason to also celebrate our democratic gains as a nation. The Peoples Democratic Party is pleased to be associated with the historic progress the Federal Government has made to further the realization of the vision of the founding fathers of Nigeria.
Today, President Goodluck Jonathan has unfolded as well as taken critical steps in the quest to transform Nigeria. It is noteworthy, that for the first time in recent history, Nigerians went to the polls to vote their leaders in elections adjudged by local and international observers as free, fair and credible.
There is no doubt that the task of building a strong, united and prosperous Nigeria as envisioned by our founding fathers is not easy. However, the commitment and steadfastness of Nigerians, coupled with the numerous efforts of our leaders past and present are enough assurance that things can only get better.
Perhaps, there is no better time to stand up for Nigeria than today. There is no better time to prove that the efforts of our heroes past shall not be in vain than now. The present challenge of development for example, will no doubt melt away in the face of the resolve of the people to live together in one indivisible nation.
As we mark this year’s independence anniversary therefore, Nigerians must remain undaunted in their determination for peaceful co-existence. All interest groups with any form of grievance should seek the path of dialogue rather than resort to senseless violence; Nigerians as well as friends of Nigeria should continue to support President Goodluck Jonathan in his efforts to transform Nigeria.

Source: FRCN daily commentary

TOWARDS DECONGESTING ABUJA

BY DR. S.A. SHAIBU (JP)

Abuja is now becoming like Lagos. Traffic congestion is now an everyday problem. This is because everybody wants to be located in the city centre. This again brings to the fore the need to go back to the basics of Abuja Master plan. Yes, Abuja city is not synonymous with Federal Capital Territory. It is not conceptualized to have development muddled up in the capital city. There is the need for us to go back to the drawing board. The bane of the present challenges in our developmental journey is that there is a need for leaders at the various tiers of government to go back to the dreams of our founding fathers. Abuja should not replicate or duplicate the problems of Lagos. And to do this, we need to go back to the basis of satellite towns’ development- to decongest Abuja.

This can be done by directing some Ministries, departments and agencies to go to designated satellite towns. For instance, the Ministries Agriculture and defence, because of their strategic value could be moved out of the city center to the suburbs. We can go on and on. Many of the agencies are presently compounding the growing congestion of the city which is meant to be the model of capital city development in the entire world. In the original master plan, specific satellite towns were designated as industrial bases, Agriculture basis, automotive centre, science and technology centre as well as University/Education centre. This was meant to ensure even development of the entire capital territory. What do we see now? Everyone, as well as organizations in both the private and public sectors want to be in the city centre. The situation has gone so bad that even some organizations with the gigantic and huge complexes have abandoned them to be in rented apartment in the city centre. This was not the concept of Abuja development.


Need we say more about the need for inter city and intra-city rail, road, mass transit and metro projects that are vital to modern city development? The on-going rail option is a step in the right direction. We can do more. There is the need for government to ensure funding for the project to enable the completion of the work on schedule. There is also the need for collaboration by all and sundry to make Abuja the centre of excellence in construction and development engineering. The present dualization of some major entry points to Abuja is commendable. Other ministries, parastatals and the private sectors that are insisting on further congesting the city thereby compounding the problem of the city should be directed to the satellite towns of FCT. The teeming beggars and youths that are unemployed in Abuja should be sent to rehabilitation centres that teach different entrepreneurial skills in business, farming and plantations cultivations outside the city centre.
If we follow all these and devout more time to planning and projection, Abuja will indeed be the pride of the Nation.

Source: FRCN daily commentary

WORLD STANDARDS DAY

BY: DENIS OLISEH

Today is World Standards Day!
The Standards Organization of Nigeria is using the opportunity to raise awareness of the dangers sub-standard products pose to the safety and well being of our people and the nation. It is also a day to examine the importance of standardization to the economy and to promote its role in helping meet the needs of business, industry, government, and consumers nationwide. The 14th of October was chosen to commemorate Standards Day by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to mark the anniversary of the first meeting of delegates from 25 countries that resulted in its formation to develop International Standards that facilitate trade, spread knowledge and disseminate technological advances. The 2011 World Standards Day message with the theme: International standards: creating confidence globally is endorsed by the leaders of the three principal international standardization organizations namely: Dr. Klaus Wucherer, President of the International Electrotechnical Commission, Dr. Boris Aleshin, President of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and Dr. Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The three organizations are the partners which make up the World Standards Cooperation (WSC). Their message points out that international standard for products and services underpin quality, safety, reliability, efficiency and effectiveness. In Nigeria, the Standards Organization of Nigeria was established in 1971 with the mandate which includes the preparation of standards relating to products, measurements, materials, processes and services and their promotion at national and international levels. The Organization is very strategic in the regulation of standards and enforcement of compliance of products and services to acceptable standards. The mandate also includes the certification of products, assistance in the production of quality goods and services, improvement of measurement accuracies and circulation of information relating to standards. In its 40 years of existence the S.O.N. has established offices in 30 states of the federation, comprising three zonal offices and two national offices in Lagos and Abuja and two laboratories located in Lagos and Enugu for testing. Admittedly there are serious challenges facing standards and quality management in the country such as unexplained fire incidences, building collapse, environment pollution as well as cheap and ineffective products. Nigeria has become a dumping ground for all manner of substandard products. President Goodluck Jonathan acknowledged this during his official inauguration of an industrial plant in Otta, Ogun State recently. Unofficially, more than 80% of products in our markets are substandard. But since the appointment of Dr. Joseph Odumodu, as the Director-General of SON, things are beginning to change for the better.
On assumption of office, the new DG announced a six point transformational agenda to make the Agency more effective and efficient. Dr. Odumodu declared enhanced capacity building, improving Global relevance, consumer engagement and protection, compliance monitoring, encouraging made-in-Nigeria products for national development as well as media engagement as his major priorities. Amongst the achievements of the new helmsman are his zero tolerance campaign against sub-standards products which has gained wide acceptance and support from Nigerian manufacturers which has made life more difficult for economic saboteurs. The Agency has also recently opened consumer Help Desks at major markets to enable consumers make enquiries before buying any product. Corruption is being tackled as new electronic payment system has been introduced at the ports to reduce incidences of bribe of SON officials. The DG has also consistently engaged with the organized private sector and small and medium enterprises with a view to encourage local manufacturing of products among other achievements.
It is in keeping with the new momentum of activities of the Standards Organization of Nigeria to fight sub-standard products that the Agency in this year’s celebration has adopted the theme: creating confidence through zero tolerance for sub-standards products. And as we celebrate this year’s World Standard Day, we encourage all Nigerians to join the zero-tolerance campaign against substandard products for our collective safety, wellbeing and economic prosperity.

Source: FRCN daily Commentary

LAUNCH OF WORLD BANK SPONSORED YOUTHS’ EMPOWERMENT SCHEME IN ABIA STATE.

By Chief Don Ubani
by empowering her youths; that is- The economy becomes more vibrant and sustainable while Crime is reduced to the barest minimum. Being conscious Today, the people and Government of Abia state will play host to the inauguration of the Youth Empowerment Scheme, known as ‘YOU-WIN’, an initiative of the World Bank and the Federal Government. The ceremony which will be performed by the co-ordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, will mark the formal introduction of the scheme in the South-East Geo-political zone. YOU-WIN! stands for Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria. It is an innovative business plan competition aimed at job creation by encouraging and supporting aspiring entrepreneurial youth in Nigeria to develop and execute business ideas. The scheme which was unveiled by President Goodluck Jonathan last month is targeted at youth between 18 and 35 years who already own businesses or have viable business plans. Suffice it to say that the scheme is part of the government’s plans at reducing the level of youth unemployment in the country, which is currently very alarming.
The Government and people of Abia state are conscious of the fact that the occasion being held in the state capital, Umuahia is a zonal event for Abia, Anambra, Ebony, Enugu and Imo States which is expected to have the Governors of the concerned states in attendance. Abia State government is naturally excited by this Youth Empowerment Scheme; YOU-WIN, as packaged by the Federal Ministry of Finance, with the assistance of the World Bank. The State government, under Chief Theodore Orji, knows and appreciates the sensitive role youths play in the socio-economic and political dynamics of any polity and has, therefore, been consistent in her pursuit of youth empowerment. Abia State government has always believed that there are, at least, two fundamental gains a society inevitably derives of the necessity of youth empowerment for a robust, productive and crime-free society, the state government, through the ministries of Youth Development, Women Affairs and Co-operative and Poverty Reduction, has been empowering the Abia youths through various skill acquisition programmes. Many of the beneficiaries of the state youth empowerment scheme have also been assisted with equipment and funds that could facilitate their take-off as self-employed citizens. Only last year, the State government facilitated the training of about one thousand five hundred Abia youths in various trades. Currently, it has embarked on the training and funding of four thousand, five hundred and fifty Abia Youths. It is therefore no surprise that Abia State was chosen to host the launch of this Youth Empowerment Scheme for the South-East Zone. It is incontrovertible that of all the commercial cities in Nigeria, Aba, is has substantially proven its capacity for effectively combining merchandize with manufacturing. The economic policy of the Abia State government is encapsulated in its transformation agenda, which lays emphasis on self reliance. This economic policy is in tandem with that of the federal government and as a result produces a synergy necessary for economic growth. Aba, the industrial and commercial capital of Abia state indeed holds a great potential in any technological aspiration of the country. This is because the people are ingenious, creative, resilient and productive. Any investment in the state’s industrial capacity will therefore only be the right investment decision.
The Abia State Government wants to assure the World Bank and the Federal Government that the essence of the YOU-WIN programme, to the extent of its application in Abia State, would be a total success in all its ramification.

Source: FRCN daily commentary

AKWA-IBOM AND DEVELOPMENT STRIDES

By: Ukpe

Recently Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State scored another significant achievement when the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly sent him a letter of commendation in recognition of his numerous developmental programmes and the transformation of Akwa Ibom State. That singular was indeed thought provoking as it was the first time a serving Governor would be so commended by the state legislature. The commendation was based on a resolution of the House which expressed the appreciation of the people, to the Governor. The commendation which also congratulated the Governor on his recent recognitions was contained in a letter signed by the Clerk of the House. The resolution was instructive for many reasons.



First, it was the first time in the history of Akwa Ibom State that a House of Assembly would so happily identify with the vision of a serving Governor and commend him in a resolution for doing a great work in governing the state. Second, as representatives of the people, the House resolution lent itself to the age-old Roman maxim that the “voice of the people, is the voice of God” and gave weight to the theme of Governor Akpabio’s re-election campaign in the last election, “Let God’s will be done again.” The House affirmed what the people said in that election with this commendation. Acknowledging that the Governor had discharged the responsibilities of his office with utmost dedication, the House appreciated him for the different developmental programmes including free and compulsory education from primary school up to senior secondary school level, empowerment of women through the micro-credit schemes, integrated farmer’s scheme and empowerment of youths through appointments, infrastructural development, and people friendly health programmes.

During a recent visit to inaugurate the Government Guest House, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, attested to the development being witnessed in Akwa-Ibom state. The same view was shared by President Goodluck Jonathan, on his visit to the state last year when he hailed the State Government for the quality of the projects undertaken and urged everyone in the state to support the Government. Suffice it to say that the list of commendations is as endless as the many projects completed in the state. Some of the recent awards bestowed on the state Governor for his work in the state include the Doctor of Management Science by the Nigerian Defence Academy and the Congressional Certificate of Recognition of the United States Congress. The House observed that by honouring the Governor, the state and its people were also honoured. The experience in Akwa Ibom State indeed shows that Government can truly work and governance can be a bridge between the people and their dream.

Source: FRCN daily commentary

Ebonyi’s celebration of gratitude and excellence

By Mr Emmanuel Chike Onwe

When Ebonyi state was created 14 years ago, there were a lot of cynicisms about the potential of the state. True, it had produced many notable names, which made some impact on the polity of the country. But doubts lingered on the ability of the new state to grapple with and overcome the vagaries of statehood. Hardly had the state been created than critics started a campaign of non-viability against it. The fact that it took the struggle for its creation for thirty nine years, however, underscores a peoples’ belief in themselves and a determination to come out of the marginalisation they were suffering in the states they then belonged to.
True, the area now called Ebonyi state has known abject neglect and degradation by successive governments in the states they had belonged to. There were virtually no tarred roads, no electricity, disease free water and visible government appointees in the area.
The deprivations were palpable to frustrating dimensions but the people persevered. Today, however, the story has changed. The state has metamorphosed into a cosmopolitan environment that challenges most of the older states in infrastructure, manpower, ambience and a huge capacity contribution to the development of the nation. It has become a reference point in peaceful coexistence, enterprise, development and purposeful leadership. The Ebonyi man is humble, trustworthy, resilient, dependable and very honest. He is conscientious, prudent and peace loving. He is tolerant of divergent and dissenting opinions and generally believes in ‘live and let live’. Little wonder that the state is home to most Nigerians from different parts of the country irrespective of tribe and religion. These two virtues will be celebrated today as Governor; Martin Nwancho Elechi leads the entire state to thank President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for appointing her sons and daughters into prominent government positions. Already, the state is agog with a festive air as all roads lead to the Township stadium Abakaliki where a Civic reception will hold in their honour. These appointees include Professor Christian Onyebuchi Otu Chukwu, the Honourable Minister of Health, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim GCON, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Justice Sylvester Nwali Ngwuta of the Supreme Court, Justice Obande Ogbuinya of the Court of Appeal, Justice Uche Onyemenam of the Court of Appeal, Mr Elias Mbam, Chairman Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission, Chief Barrister Okeagu Ogadah, Member, Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission, Chief Lawrence Nwuruku, National Commissioner, Independent Electoral Commission and Prof. Selina Omagha Oko, Resident Electoral Commissioner of Imo state. For Governor Martin Elechi, who led the thirty nine year struggle for the state creation, it is a celebration of victory. For Ebonyians, it is gratitude time as they thank a benefactor who has found their sons and daughters worthy of trust. And for the honourees, it is an acknowledgement by their brothers and sisters that they have done well indeed. Thus the civic reception today is an affirmative action of a grateful people to the President and a call to serve the country well as a true Ebonyi son and daughter by the appointees. It is a call for dedication to duty even as the state awaits other goodies from the President.
The people of Ebonyi state are grateful and appreciative to the president. They are optimistic that the future holds even greater promises. Our vibrant lawmakers at both the national and state levels, workers, market women, our teeming farmers, the rural dwellers and indeed all Ebonyians are all upbeat and will treat all our friends and guests to the traditional Ebonyi hospitality. Our dancers, who are famed for enthralling world leaders are on hand and will treat you to rhythms only they can produce.

Source: FRCN daily commentary

RENEWED EFFORTS TO ERADICATE POLIO

By TUNDE AKANNI

Over the years, the problem of polio has received the attention of stake holders both nationally and internationally. The aim is to ensure total eradication of the disease from our shores. Polio attacks children, deforms and sometimes kills them, plunging families into hardship and untold sorrows. The fight against polio is particularly imperative, because it is a way of protecting the nation’s future. However much still need to be done in this regard. The involvement of the community is paramount in any efforts geared towards eradicating the disease. Information on how the disease can be eradicated is therefore crucial. Thus the need to increase efforts at creating the desired sensitisation. At the federal level, a lot of efforts have gone into this task. At the state level, Governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors Forum have drawn up a quarterly sensitisation programme to raise awareness on the need to rein in polio across the country. This programme which will continue up till next year is primarily intended to strenghten the war against the disease, and help to totally eliminate it. The sensitisation consists of dedicating one day every quarter to hold campaigns in all the states with the Governors as the lynch- pin to raise the level of awareness like they will do tomorrow.

At various fora, decisions have been taken to ensure concerted approach to fight the disease. At a meeting of State Governors, they reviewed the polio situation in the country and agreed that even though much progress had been made towards curbing the menace in Nigeria, a lot more work needed to be done to completely eradicate the scourge.
During the sensitisation days, the governments would commit substantial resources to creating more awareness about the disease and how it could be eradicated. Apart from massive campaigns in the media, they are also to collaborate with other stakeholders in the health sector to sensitise parents on the need to immunise their children against the disease. The campaign is to essentially make polio vaccine administrators engage with nursing mothers who ensure that the children are made available for polio vaccines. However these efforts should not be left to the mothers alone which perhaps explains the philosophy behind the theme of tomorrow’s campaign which is ‘women against polio’. However, the men also have a big task and must join in the protracted battle against polio.
It is commendable that efforts are been made to ensure the total eradication of the disease from Nigeria once and for all. However, the governors must not rest on their oars until that objective is achieved. This is necessary especially as a recent report by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is collaborating with the other stakeholders including the Nigeria’s Governors Forum in fighting polio, had painted a very dismal picture of the polio battle in Nigeria. The report has it that the disease was resurging in some states in the North.
It expressed concern about the polio situation in Nigeria with few cases still prevalent in some parts of the country and spreading to neighbouring countries like Mali and Niger. This development no doubt dampens the world’s hope for a breakthrough in stopping the disease. The sensitisation campaigns by the Governors Forum must therefore be commended and seen as even more urgent and necessary as Nigeria is still one of the four polio endemic countries in the world. The others been India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. All efforts aimed at getting Nigeria out of the list are not only necessary but also mandatory.

Source: FRCN daily commentary

ATTITUDINAL RE-ORIENTATION AND NAFDAC OPERATION

BY Martins Ikhilae

The success of any crusade is dependent on the degree of acceptance and support it enjoys from its target audience. Indisputably, the quest for an effective and efficient health care is the desire of every individual irrespective of national or societal status. In developed countries, emphasis is placed on the provision of a reliable health care sector. The reason for this is simply because, without Health, wealth creation and sustenance is absolutely unachievable. In Nigeria, for instance, the crusade to improve citizens access to effective health care is being driven by the National Agency For Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). The approach with which this agency’s health crusade is being pursued is indicative of its seriousness to discharge its statutory responsibilities.
It is clear that NAFDAC has initiated different efforts at stamping out disastrous health practices. However, adequate cooperation and support on the part of the entire Nigerian populace is required to make the agency’s efforts successful. Its determination to identify counterfeited and substandard pharmaceuticals and unwholesome processed foods is indeed a very worthy engagement in view of the havoc these substances have unleashed on the unsuspecting public. It has also made available, sophisticated devices for easily spotting fake regulated products as well as exposing dealers in this condemnable trade. Just recently, a high powered Federal Task Force on fake and counterfeit drugs and unwholesome processed products was set up to compliment state task forces saddled with similar responsibility. The taskforces comprise members of the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria, the Consumer Protection Council, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Custom Service and NAFDAC. Having recognized the fact that domestic efforts are insufficient to check these drug counterfeiters, NAFDAC sought assistance of the World Health Organization to garner the desired international support. In response, the WHO, established an ‘International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeit Task Force’ with the Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii as Vice-Chairman.
Undoubtedly, the agency’s international network has yielded dividends as exemplified by the recent interception of a consignment of counterfeited anti-malaria drugs worth millions of naira at a Lagos port. Its shippers were apprehended in China by the international police (INTERPOL) and the United States Federal Drug Agency in collaboration with the Indian and Chinese High Commissions. Just recently, another collaborative team comprising operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, NAFDAC, Pharmacist Council of Nigeria as well as the Consumer Protection Council commenced unscheduled inspection of corporate pharmacies in Ikoyi and Victoria Island areas of Lagos State in an operation code named “operation Cobra”. INTERPOL had prior to the commencement of the exercise, organized a two day workshop on capacity building and training for these operatives to adequately prepare them for the operation. The exercise was a joint operation between INTERPOL and seven west African countries including Nigeria at the instance of the World Health Organization’s and INTERPOL. The operation led to the arrest of over 30 suspected fake regulated products merchants. Also inspected were large pharmacies, wholesale outlets as well as warehouses where the agency’s innovative technology, the TRUSCAN machines were deployed in the verification of their wares.
Besides these, NAFDAC is working on a rapid alert technique between Nigeria and collaborating countries to efficiently create a formidable network towards combating the trade in substandard regulated products. As NAFDAC continues its crusade towards sanitizing the nation’s drug distribution system, fake drug merchants and economic saboteurs are warned to desist from molesting the agency’s operatives as well as engaging in the destruction of its facilities.

Source: FRCN daily commentary

Driving the Transformation Agenda through Nigerian Non-oil Export Conference, Exhibition & Awards (NNECEA 2011)

By Joe ITAH

The Transformation Agenda of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, like other policies by successive Governments, proposes to reposition the economy, through addressing, issues of poverty, unemployment, insecurity and most especially, diversifying the economy from total dependence on oil to a non-oil driven economy. It is in this regard that the Commerce Institutional Framework was re-engineered through the creation of the Trade & Investment Ministry. The essence was to pilot the National Implementation Plan (NIP) on the sector, with a view to transforming the economy for sustainable development.

It is obvious that for Nigeria to be among the 20 largest economies in the world by the year 2020, Government, at all levels must accord other sectors of the economy apart from the oil, the needed attention. Based on this premise and in accordance to the core mandate of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) which is to develop and promote non-oil exports, a partnership was recently drawn with Koinonia Ventures Limited (a wholly Nigerian export Consulting firm) on enhancing participation and performance in the non-oil export sector, through a programme tagged Nigerian Non-oil Export Conference, Exhibition and Awards. This is an annual forum and platform for key players in the non-oil export sector, both Private and Public, to dialogue on trade policies, assess activities, weigh current challenges and proffer strategies to improve future performance . The maiden edition of the event was held at Abuja International Conference Centre in October last year. The second edition will hold at Abuja Sheraton Hotel and Towers from tomorrow to Friday November – 4. The theme of the trade event is ‘Getting it Right with Non-oil Exports’.

It will have three plenary sessions in two days of conferencing, an exhibition running through the three days and a Presidential Export Award night where the best exporters of the year will be recognized and honoured. The conference will attract stakeholders from the non-oil export sector including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise, leading exporters, banks, shipping lines, insurance companies, Chambers of Commerce and Industry including Government Agencies involved in the non-oil export trade. The event will certainly offer opportunities for fresh business concerns and strategic economic linkages from local and foreign industrialists. While the event would be officially opened by President Goodluck Jonathan, the sessions also have international participation and investors includin the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria , the Nigerian Ambassador in Spain , a delegation of European Union and the ECOWAS Commission. Economic analysts are of the view that Nigeria ’s progress and prospects have increasingly elicited interests in international economic circles.


For instance, a recent article in the July - August 2009 Issue of the Harvard Business Review, identified Nigeria to be among “30 of the World’s most important economies” given its ability to weather the current global financial crisis. Nigeria indeed, was the 7th fastest growing economy in the world in 2009 growing at 6.9%. Although the global financial meltdown undoubtedly, affected it as it did in several other countries, Nigeria is once more on the part of growth. The principal driver of this growth aside from our oil economy is the country’s non-oil exports. In spite of this, many still insist that Nigeria ’s enormous potential in this sector has not yet been exploited. With the over 36 commercially proven solid minerals in the country, coupled with the increase growth in the IT and services sub sectors , non-oil exports are expected to drive growth. One can therefore conclude that non-oil exports offer significant advantages for Nigeria ’s positioning and competitiveness in the global economy. For instance, previous Government policies aimed at encouraging improved export performance had not achieved the targeted objectives essentially due to poor dialogue between the public and private sectors.
It is hope that with the organization of the Nigerian Non-oil Export Conference, Exhibition and Awards, Nigeria would tap into the opportunity to make it realise its potential as the giant of Africa .

Source: FRCN daily commentary

CELEBRATING A JUDICIAL ICON: JUSTICE ALOYSIUS IYORGYER KATSINA-ALU, FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA.

BY MOSES ADAGUUSU

Honorable Justice Aloysius Iyorgyer Katsina– Alu was born on 28thAugust, 1941 at Ukan, in Ushongo Local Government Area of Benue State. He had his secondary education at St. Michael’s Secondary School Aliade in 1961 and thereafter to the Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna. He proceeded to the Mons Military Training College, Aldershot, England where he trained from 1962 to 1963. His career that started in the Military was however short-lived. On his return from Military training he enrolled at the Faculty of Law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. In 1964, he proceeded to the Inns of Court, School of Law; Gibson & Weldon College of Law, School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London. He was called to the English Bar in October, 1967. He subsequently attended the Nigerian Law School and was called to the Nigerian Bar in June, 1968.

Upon his call to the Nigerian Bar, he began his professional career in Lagos as a private Legal Practitioner. In 1978, he was appointed the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Benue State. His judicial career started in 1979 when he was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Benue State. He was elevated to the Court of Appeal in June, 1985. In 1998, he became a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, a period which marked the enthronement of constitutionalism and rule of law in the country. His career on the bench spanned 32 years in all the Superior Courts of record out of which 13 years were spent as a Justice of the Supreme Court. He was appointed the 10th indigenous Chief Justice of Nigeria on 30thDecember, 2009. KATSINA-AL: A DESTINY FULFILLE, HIS SUPREME COURT YEARS is a book containing excerpts of the decisions of Hon. Justice Katsina- Alu during his tenure as a Justice of the Supreme Court. During his 13 year stint as a Justice of the apex Court and later Chief Justice, he sat on a total of 406 cases. Out of that number, he delivered 56 leading, 346 concurring and 4 dissenting judgments. Therefore, the decision to put together in an immemorial form, the insightful thoughts and decisions of this judicial icon deserves commendation.
The book edited by Mr. MOSES ADAGUUSU, an Abuja based Legal Practitioner could not have been presented at a better time than now that his Lordship has honorably bowed out, having attained the mandatory retirement age of 70. It was Katsina-Alu who in the celebrated case of Amaechi Vs INEC decided on the power of the Supreme Court to give remedy where not specifically claimed. In that case, Justice Katsina-Alu in his Leading Judgment held that the Supreme Court has wide jurisdiction to make consequential orders and to grant reliefs which the circumstances and justice of the case dictate.
Most of the judgments delivered by Katsina-Alu have been reported in Law Reports. However, there is no single reference source for all his judgments. That is the gap the book is aimed at filling. Justice Katsina-Alu aside from his notable contributions from the Bench has participated in several important international conferences. His contribution to nation building has been acknowledged and celebrated beyond the legal circles. He was conferred with the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in 2004. In appreciation of his invaluable contribution to nation building, he was awarded the prestigious honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) in 2010. It was not therefore surprising when the Benue State University, Makurdi honoured him with the Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa) in June, 2010. The Book will be publicly launched tomorrow at the Musa Yar; adua Centre, Abuja under the Chairmanship of Dr. Yakubu Gowon, former Head of State, at 10.00am. The Distinguished Guest of Honour is expected to be President Goodluck Jonathan. The public is invited to attend this great occasion to celebrate KATSINA-ALU, a judicial icon of great repute. No doubt, his destiny which was certainly not in the Military has indeed been fulfilled in the legal Profession.

Source: FRCN daily Commentary

BILL ON PROHIBITION OF SAME SEX MARRIAGE BY THE SENATE

BY PAULINA ALABI

Nigerians are a people with a heritage, with core values that are dynamic, peculiar, unique in many respects and equal to none. The nation’s value system is embedded in rich, cultural and traditional norms which are sacred, noble and worthy of emulation by depraved cultures of the world. It is interesting to note that these cultural values have been transferred from one generation to another. While we import western technology, our core values are worthy of exportation to other nations of the world. One fact that is not disputable among Nigerians is the consciousness that we are all created in the image of a loving and holy God. We are not an afterthought or products of evolution theory.
Consequently, people appreciate our customs and traditions which over the years are the embodiment of our communal life style and relationships which has endeared us to other cultures of the world. Nigerians irrespective of class or creed are known to be God fearing. It is pertinent therefore to draw attention at one anti-God and anti-African issue of the moment which is generating tremendous attention both within and outside the country. That is the issue of same sex marriage. This practice that goes against nature, has received wide-spread acceptance in some western societies with even legal support. For instance, the Netherlands was the first country to legalize same sex marriage in 2001. Since then, six other countries and some states in the United States of America have followed suit. It is gratifying that in Nigeria the entire populace is united and against any such legislation. It was therefore a thing of joy that the Nigerian Legislature through the senate gave a resounding voice to this stand by unanimously passing the prohibition of same sex marriage bill. The bill is now before the House of Representatives for concurrence.

Off course Nigerians expect no less than a resounding approval of the bill which will subsequently be presented to President Good luck Jonathan for assent into law. The passage of the bill has triggered a lot of controversy from western nations who claim respect for fundamental rights. But it must be clear to all such apologists that same sex marriages constitute a blatant denigration of our collective humanity and cannot be justified under the guise of respect for human rights and democracy. Same sex marriage is not only a borrowed foreign culture, but an act that is ABOMINABLE and IMMORAL. It constitutes an abuse of the purpose of creation and a complete DEVIATION from the original manual of the creator. From time immemorial, God created Adam and Eve and gave them the mandate of procreation. During the great flood, the instruction from God for the preservation of life was male and female. It is important to note that inanimate objects like electricity also have positive and negative electrons. Animals do not descend so low as to have intimate relationships with the same sex. Why then should human beings made in the image of the creator condescend so low?
The question begging for an answer from canvassers of same sex marriage is: if our forefathers had indulged in such ungodly and abominable act, would they have given birth to us. Nigerians must take this issue as a wakeup call. Same sex marriage should be resisted by all and sundry. If same sex marriage is legalized in Nigeria and our children subscribe to it, what will happen to procreation? We have had enough of the importation of negative values from foreign lands. Let us be alert and nip this dangerous issue in the bud. We should not experiment with SAME SEX MARRIAGE, for gone are the days when a mistake in the West is adopted or imported as a life style or fashion in Nigeria. We must be ready to protect our norms, culture and religious ethos irrespective of the threats from failed colonialists and imperialists.

Source: FRCN daily commentary

THE NEW NUMBER PLATES AND DRIVERS LICENSES

BY AHMED BASHIR

The issue of safety on the nation’s highway has been on the front burner of public discourse for some time now. The federal road safety corps which is the lead agency of government in this area has been doing its best to drastically reduce road accidents. It has come up with various measures all aimed at tackling this problem.

However the recent pronouncement by the commission that it will embark on the renewal of the entire number plate system of the country as well as issue new drivers licenses has received diverse reactions from many quarters.

Under the arrangement, Drivers and vehicle owners have up to August next year to comply with the new rule when they will pay six thousand naira for a new driver’s license and fifteen thousand naira for a new number plate.

Some analysts have questioned the motives behind this system. On its part the road safety corps has hinged its decision on the need to have a reliable data base of vehicles plying the roads as well as the imperative to sanitize the current chaotic national driver’s license issuing process.

No one can deny the zeal of the transformation agenda by the current administration. It is clear that the FRSC has decided to key into this agenda through forward looking proposals like that of the new number plates.

The commission cites car monitoring via satellite as one of the core benefits of this plan. While the process might seem easy on paper and appealing to the ear, we must not forget too soon how many of such brilliant ideas have turned disastrous and incapable of making true statistical analysis available to the nation. The nation is still grappling with that of the national identity card.

And in consonance with the cries of teeming Nigerians, the House of Representatives rose from its plenary session recently and passed a motion directing the Federal Road Safety Commission to discontinue issuance of the newly introduced number plates until it concludes investigations into the matter.

Many Nigerians either rightly or wrongly saw the FRSC INITIATIVE as one of exploitation. In fact the member of the house who raised the motion, Honorable Sam Tsokwa, said it appeared that the FRSC was going beyond its legal mandate by phasing out the old number plates and their replacement at what he called exorbitant costs. Besides the other rationale that the new regime would be a source of revenue generation has drawn negative comments from both the House and the public to the effect that the FRSC was not set up with the primary aim generating revenue but enforcing safety rules.

While it is true that the nation needs reliable, complete, independent and working database system, a lot of things need to be fixed before coming up with such plans. The commission needs to do more on education of road users about high way signs, organize beneficial lectures and symposium, enforce true traffic control and overall, promote decongestion of roads by providing traffic lights on major junctions. Instead of the current whole sale change of number plates as currently advocated by the FRSC, it will appear more realistic and ideal to restrict the change to newly acquired vehicles and those that are currently damaged or gone bad, so that over time the change will take place. The issuance of deadline doesn’t appear realistic in the current scenario.

On the issue of the new drivers license, many are agreed on the propriety of the measure as it appears majority of the licenses in use by motorists currently appear to be fake. As a result many have acquired driving licenses without going through the necessary hurdles and steps. A fact, which many analysts attribute to the current high rate of road fatalities in the country.

There is a need therefore for all stakeholders to come together and agree on the way forward on this matter. Thank God the House of Representatives has elected to undertake a comprehensive look at the proposal. It is hoped that the outcome will be acceptable to the teeming Nigerians who are currently bedeviled with many economic challenges.



Source: FRCN daily commentary

QUALITY MEDICAL LABORATORY SERVICES FOR HIV/AIDS CAMPAIGN

By SAMUEL UREME

The campaign for the eradication of HIV/AIDS has been on for years. This has culminated in the celebration of world AIDS day every 1st of December. So many events have been instituted to raise funds for campaign, fighting prejudice and improving health education on the disease. As effective as the event and others have been, it is vital to reinvigorate some critical programmes to ensure a consistent improvement in service delivery. Quality medical laboratory services are a key element of any programme against the scourge and management of those already affected. Medical laboratory is a diagnostic and investigative facility of all medical outfits. Consequently, it is the centre point of HIV detection, identification, drug and vaccine production. It was only when the virus was isolated in the laboratory in the mid 1980s that the global community became conscious of HIV/AIDS among the human population. It was the medical laboratory that exposed the virus as taking advantage of human activities like sexual activities, blood transfusion, and use of unsterilized objects. Currently, laboratory and other scientists are continuously researching into improving antiretroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS therapy and this will add more impetus to vaccine research and production.
Quality laboratory is the key in the effort to combat the pandemic and will endure as long as science remains a human activity. There is the need for laboratory services in Nigeria to be upgraded to global standards to furnish HIV screening and confirmation test results that are accurate and in tandem with international standards. If the laboratory is not properly equipped and run by competent professionals, its critical role particularly in HIV/AIDS crusade would be compromised. At the moment, laboratory services in Nigeria are below standards of operation in Europe and America. The resources to establish new laboratories and mark up the existing ones are available. What is required is an improved political will to address the health problem of the nation. The need for quality laboratory services does not need any emphasis. The central essence of the AIDS campaign is to institutionalize a laboratory programme that will guarantee accurate results on a consistent basis. A situation where laboratory results vary from laboratory to laboratory is unwholesome and dangerous to the public. It is worse in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. The Federal and State governments should empower the agencies that regulate laboratory practice to do more in the interest of the public. The laboratory professionals in Nigeria should rise up to the demand of HIV/AIDS campaign in consonance with global standards. This is a clarion call to respond to the challenge thrown up by HIV/AIDS.

Source: FRCN daily Commentary

LACK OF SPORTING FACILITIES IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS AS THE BANE OF NATIONAL SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

BY:MIKE EKUNNO

As the year 2011 runs to an end, we need to spare a thought as to how well we have fared in various aspects of our national life. In the field of sports, the nation witnessed a decline in virtually all aspects of sports. In football, we painfully witnessed the ouster of Nigerian club sides from all the continental tournaments they entered. Our national football teams all failed to qualify for major international tournaments while the female national team did poorly at the World Cup. In athletics, we managed to maintain the third position on the medals table of the All African Games, a position which is fast becoming our national lot.
Sports attracts emotive analysis and comments and there is no shortage of people who can proffer the reasons for our dwindling performances. However, there is a general agreement on the connection between school sports and national sports. Schools act as the nurseries that rear national and international sportsmen and women. This is because the budding period of most sports people is at their youth, most of which is spent in schools. Again, the critical mass of students assembled under a school environment affords the opportunity for competition in sports. Schools are also positioned to promote excellence in sports because the mental discipline required for studies also benefits the physical discipline required for sports. Little wonder, ancient Olympians believed that a sound mind only comes from a sound body. The fortunes of school sports and national sports are therefore directly related. In our country, however, one of the major causes of decline in school sports has been the advent of private schools. The last two decades have witnessed a geometrical increase in the number of private schools at primary and secondary levels. This is a positive development that should be commended and encouraged.
However, one inadvertent offshoot of this development is the lack of emphasis on sports in most of the private schools. Sometimes this is not the making of these schools. They find themselves in constricting school premises without enough space for playgrounds and pitches. This is a systemic problem. From the beginning of Nigerian education, private schools were not part of the ownership mix. There were pioneering efforts by religious bodies and voluntary agencies but these had the status of public schools since they worked hand in hand with the colonial administration. They were therefore officially allotted spacious premises or had host communities who donated generous spaces. When the private schools as we know them today became part of the equation, their proprietors had to purchase land for the schools often at exorbitant costs. Again the exigencies of citing schools at convenient distances from residential neighbourhoods meant that many proprietors had to accept to squeeze their schools inside small lots in built-up neighbourhoods. This is what has led to the absence of playgrounds and pitches in private schools.

For this problem to be corrected, modern day city planners should begin to make generous provisions for private educational institutions in preparing the land use budget in city cadastral maps. The present reality shows that private primary schools outnumber the public ones in most cities. City planners therefore need to wake up to this fact in their land use planning. Governments can afford to allocate land for private schools directly to proprietors. If this is done, proprietors can channel their capital funds to infrastructural development instead of investing in exorbitant land acquisition. More importantly, they will be able to have school premises that are large enough to accommodate playgrounds and pitches. With sports pitches in private schools, the revival of school sports can commence which will by extension positively impact national sports.

Source : FRCN daily Commentary

THE HOSTING OF THE FIRST BAYELSA STATE SUMMIT ON ENVIRONMENT

BY Ofonime Umanah

Bayelsa is one of the nine coastal states and strategically located in the heart of the Niger Delta. The coastline covers about 853 kilometres stretching from the Lagos end to Akwa Ibom and comprising in shore waters, coastal lagoons, estuaries and mangroves, especially. Basically, economic activities in this coastal zone include oil and gas exploration, fishing, shipping, agriculture and tourism. Over the years, activities of humans in the area and natural impacts had exposed the state to varying environmental issues. The environmental problems include over exploitation of fisheries, felling of trees, coastal and marine pollution, oil spills, coastal erosion and flooding, to mention but a few.

The discovery of crude oil in commercial quantity in 1956 created a huge impact on the environment. Though, the exploration of the oil and gas sustains the nation’s economy, the inability of the operators to carry out their activities in line with international best practices causes major environmental problems for the inhabitants and eco-system. The toxic substances, which have been emitted in our gas flares for over 40 years, have exposed Niger Delta communities to health risks and property damage. According to a World Bank report on environment, gas flaring in Nigeria has contributed more greenhouse gas emissions than all other sources in sub-Saharan Africa combined. The Federal Government through its various regulatory agencies however have not been able to stop gas flaring after several deadlines had been set. The oil companies, each time had told the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, of their constraints in meeting the deadlines before the House of Representatives considered a legislative framework pegging the deadline to end gas flaring at December 31, 2012.
Besides gas flaring, oil spillage, could lead to instant death of the fish , wild life and death of the human population caused by explosion and fire. In Bayelsa State, the present administration under Governor Timipre Sylva is rising up to the challenge posed by environmental issues by developing programmes and legislation to protect and conserve the natural heritage. Though, the state Ministry of Environment in the past had taken some measures to address identified environment issues, it has decided to host the first Bayelsa summit on the enviroment, expected to come up with sustainable initiatives that would guarantee development. The Ministry under the leadership of Chief Robert Enogha had initiated a tree planting project and built receptacles in strategic locations in Yenagoa for the disposal of refuse by residents. Also working closely with the State Environmental Sanitation Authority, the Ministry only recently introduced a new measure on refuse disposal that requires residents to dispose their wastes between 6pm and 6am each day.

The monthly sanitation exercise is still being observed on the last Saturday of every month to mobilize residents to clean their surroundings and ensure good hygiene. The summit will also be used to launch the Fresh Air Initiative of the government, a programme that will open a new vista for the state and its people towards a new consciousness on environmental issues. It will also feature the presentation of the state's policy on climate change. The two days event which started yesterday has in attendance relevant federal agencies, representatives of oil companies, Commissioners of Environment from other states and Environmental-based Non-Governmental organizations. For Bayelsa State Government, which has set out to diversify its economy from crude oil to Agriculture and Tourism, the issue of providing a safe environment is key to development. The summit is no doubt a wake up call to all residents and those doing business in the state to see the need to keep a clean environment as a collective responsibility to ensure healthy living.
Source: FRCN daily Commentary

THE GROWING POPULATION AND THE PROVISION OF POTABLE WATER

BY: HUSSEINA BANGSHIKA

The term “water is life” is not only familiar but appropriate, and globally accepted. In July last year, the UN General Assembly recognized the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation, as a human right, essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights. It is unfortunate however, that as an essential resource for life and good health, water is not easily accessible for daily needs, for at least about two thirds of the global population. The situation seems to worsen by the day with population increase and greater demand for water equally for households, the agriculture industry and industrial uses. When such pressure on available potable water remains constant, it is the poor that are always on the receiving end as competition for resources is always powered by the pricing mechanism. Throughout the eighties and nineties, East African countries had encountered various degrees of drought leading to acute food and water scarcity.
Globally, there have been instances of water shortages with severe consequences on the livelihood and survival of several communities. The World Bank estimates that demand for water will exceed supply by 40% by the year 2030. Already about 1.8 billion people live in water scarce regions, while two third of the global population could suffer water related stress by 2025. Though Nigeria has not experienced severe drought in the last 25 years, human activities and climatic changes are already threatening some of its water endowments like the Lake Chad. In the eighties and nineties, most of the state capitals in Nigeria could boast of pipe borne water. A massive rural-urban migration ensued, putting extra strain on existing water infrastructure in those capitals. Since then, rural-urban migration has been on the increase with an attendant shortage in water supply. Besides, while most departments vested with the responsibilities of providing potable water concentrated on urban areas, the rural populace is left largely unattended to. In most cases, these rural dwellers depend on hand dug wells, streams, ponds, rivers, and boreholes. The lack of this essential of life has led to the emergence of water vendors who hawk water from street to street and house to house. Before now, these water vendors were seen only in villages and few urban centers.
The situation has put many communities in both rural and even urban settlements at the mercy of water vendors. It is a fact that building plans these days include boreholes, as if to say there is no hope that water resources departments can fulfill their mandate to Nigerians. Even though large sums of money are reportedly allocated for water, the result is not evident. Experts have often associated the scarcity of potable water in most Nigerian cities and towns to corrupt practices, coupled with the limited capacity by national and local water departments to implement water projects. The United Nations human development report estimated that failure to invest in water and sanitation was costing sub Saharan Africa about 5 percent of its GDP, with similar consequences on the health indices of its people. Nigeria is not short of fresh surface water which can be available for its citizen’s benefit. All that is required is genuine assessment of the water needs of the people, allocation of the resources needed, and the appointment of people of proven capacity to implement. Until this is done, water borne disease will continue to ravage the people and other aspects of development impeded. Since the vast surface water available in the country could be treated and piped for public use, government should pursue that vigorously and regulate the sinking of bore holes to save underground water for the rainy day.
Nigeria should learn from the water crises other countries had experienced in the past, to safeguard it from any form of severe shortage in the future.

Source: FRCN daily Commentary

Saturday, January 7, 2012

SUPPORTING THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION.

By AMEH MONDAY
Corruption has been a canker worm that has bedeviled all societies from time immemorial with various measures been put in place to eradicate it. . It was in realization of the fact that corruption is a global phenomenon and the danger it portends, that the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2003 set aside the 9th of December of every year as International Anti-Corruption Day in order to raise awareness about corruption menace and the role of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. On this day the world over, various activities are lined up to mark the International Anti-Corruption Day which include Musicals and plays to publicize the message of fighting against corruption ,Essay competitions on corruption and The dissemination of posters, flyers and other anti corruption enlightenment and education materials.

Nigeria is amongst the 140 nations that signed the Convention document on the 9th of December, 2003 and accordingly ratified it on 14th December, 2004. As clearly encapsulated in the United Nations Convention, it has been one of the major problems bedeviling Nigeria which accounts for the rot and decay in all facet of our political, and social-economic life. It is equally responsible for the retardation in our developmental pursuits. The recent rating by the Berlin based Transparency International in its 2011 annual Corruption Perception Index report where it rated Nigeria 143rd out of 183 nations should not be seen as an indictment but as a challenge to spur government and propel the anti-graft agencies as well as all Nigerians to show serious commitment to the crusade against corruption. The menace of corruption is a global phenomenon which is not peculiar to Nigeria but the proportion it has assumed here is alarming.


It is incumbent on members of the National Assembly to sharpen their oversight function in the coming year as it will go a long way in reducing incidences of corruption.With the passing of the Freedom of Information act, the Media, Civil Societies and indeed all Nigerians should seize the opportunity the law provides by acting as whistle blowers in unmasking all acts of corruption. Government may also consider the establishment of Special Anti Corruption Courts to handle corruption cases as the delay in our courts nowadays, owing to frivolous injunctions and frequent adjournments do not augur well for the fight against corruption. The ICPC and EFCC must be commended for their relentless effort at leading the crusade against corruption, financial crimes and other related offences through their investigation and prosecution of corrupt Nigerians. More importantly, they must increase their public enlightenment and education advocacies through seminars and workshops which are aimed at educating the public.

Undoubtedly, there is room for improvement, and as we step into year 2012 with hope, the two agencies should redouble their efforts for the onerous task of eradicating corruption. There is also the need for synergy between all the anti-graft agencies as well as other law enforcement agencies to ensure success of the anti corruption fight. On the part of government, they should ensure adequate funding of the agencies to enable them execute their mandate effectively. There should be no government interference no matter whose ox is gored. It is obvious that the crusade against graft in Nigeria under our democratic dispensation, has been given a boost and all hands must be on deck to ensure that corruption which is the bane of our development is eradicated totally, or reduced to the barest minimum. Once this is done, the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals as well as the Vision 2020 and the Transformation Agenda of the present administration will be actualized.

Source: FRCN daily commentary